I found the 2003 Brunello di Montalcino a difficult wine to understand. I imagine the warmth of the vintage is a significant factor but the 2003 is a decidedly modern lush Brunello from Il Poggione. As this full-bodied Brunello opens in the glass notes of dark fruit leather spices chocolate and tobacco emerge supported by the firm tannins that are the hallmark of this vintage. There is notable clarity here but fans of the estate should expect an atypically ripe style in this vintage. Readers who want to learn more about Il Poggione should check out my recently published article on www.erobertparker.com Anticipated maturity: 2009-2023.Few classically-minded producers have been as successful as Il Poggione in giving their wines a moderate dose of modern aromas flavors and textures without essentially compromising what is still a fairly traditional approach to winemaking. Today the wines are made with the submerged cap method. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel after which the wines are racked into 33- and 52-hectoliter French oak barrels where they age for three years. A recent tasting of the estate's wines back to 1967 showed the extraordinary capacity they have to improve with age.